Apparatus and method for providing images for viewing at various distances

• US 6,094,182 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Simulated Percepts, LLC
• Original Assignee: Francis J. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Jr., Francis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/884,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/139
• US Class Current: 345/9
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/117 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/322 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0096 : Synchronisation or controlling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 : of head mounted projectors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing, in response to successive image signals and a control signal, the successive images at various apparent distances. The relationship between accommodation and convergence may be preserved. The images may have a highly detailed component which has its image content changed according to changes in the direction of a monitored one or more visual axes. The images may be provided stereoscopically.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

an image source for providing successive images for presentation to a viewer'"'"'s eye; and

means, responsive to said successive images and to a control signal, for providing said successive images at various apparent distances for viewing by the viewer'"'"'s eye at said various apparent distances.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for providing the successive images at said various apparent distances is for providing said successive images such that the viewer'"'"'s eye may accommodate to focus on the successive images at the various apparent distances with a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence preserved.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said successive images are mixed images having nonuniform resolution.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mixed images have a high resolution component that changes position within said successive images with respect to a low resolution component.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the mixed images have a high resolution component and a low resolution component, and wherein the high resolution component and the low resolution component together chance position within said successive images.

6. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said image source is for providing additional successive images for presentation to a remaining eye of the viewer;

and wherein said

means for providing said successive images at various distances is also for providing said additional successive images for viewing by said remaining eye of said viewer at the various apparent distances.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the additional successive images provided at various distances are for viewing by the viewer'"'"'s remaining eye with varying accommodation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said successive images and said additional successive images are provided at said various apparent distances in such a way as to preserve a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence in the eyes of the viewer.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said image source is for providing additional successive mixed images for presentation to a remaining eye of the viewer;

and wherein said

means for providing said successive mixed images at various distances is also for providing said additional successive mixed images for viewing by said remaining eye of said viewer at the various apparent distances.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the additional successive mixed images provided at various apparent distances are for viewing by the remaining eye of the viewer with varying accommodation.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said successive mixed images and said additional successive mixed images are provided at said various apparent distances in such a way as to preserve a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence in the eyes of the viewer.

12. Apparatus, comprising:

an image source for providing images of objects; and

means for moving the image source, responsive to a control signal, for providing the images at various distances for viewing at said various distances with correspondingly varying accommodation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising eye monitoring means for monitoring an eye for providing said control signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said images at various distances are provided for viewing with a normal relationship between convergence and said varying accommodation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising eye monitoring means for monitoring an eye for providing said control signal.

16. Method, comprising the steps of:

providing images from an image source;

providing a control signal; and

moving the image source, in response to the control signal, for providing the images at various distances for viewing with correspondingly varying accommodation.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of monitoring an eye for providing said control signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said images at various distances are provided for viewing binocularly with correspondingly varying convergence.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of monitoring an eye for providing said control signal.